정광봉목사님은

대구공회 소속 목회자로 광주 동북교회 정경수목사님의 아들이며 고신대학원을 졸업하고 2003년 대구공회에서 목사 안수를 받았으며 현재 카브난트신학교 Th.M 과정을 1년 공부한 상태입니다. 이 논문은 부산공회(2) 홈에서 인용했습니다.

지도 교수 Dr. Mare는 카버넌트 신학교(Covenant Theological Seminary in St.Louis) 신약 교수이며 1987년 서부교회 방문, 주일오전 예배 설교를 했던 분



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(Missions with Peter and Paul Dr. W. Harold Mare)


Mission Project Focusing on Evangelism For Children
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Kwangbong Jung (#261) 12/19/2003






As previously announced, the Christian ratio in Korea is 25% (about 12million) of the whole Korean population. The 75% remnant still is not Christian. Most of them are pagans or atheist having anti-Christian beliefs. To make matters worse, the negative thought for Christianity is increasing among Koreans. According to a survey(1) , regarding individual opinion, the question was asked “what do you think about the increasing of the religion’s affection?” 41% answered positively. This was decreased 19% from 5 years ago, but negative answers increased 18%. Concerning another question “Have you ever gotten another religion?” 74.5% answered that he or she was Christian. Only 23.2% replied that he or she was Buddhists and 10% was Roman Catholic (someone replied plural.) The results mean Christian converted

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1. The survey of Korean religion and attitude to religion Korean gallop 1989
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the most into other religions or forsook their faith.
Under these circumstances, missions to the remnant 75% Korean will be very difficult. Which mission projects are required for Korea today? When Christianity entered Korea in the early period, many evangelists and missionaries usually used the method of shouting the name ‘Jesus’ on the street or market place because most Koreans have never been heard the gospel. Those mission projects worked in those days. After several decades the Korean churches used the invitation evangelizing method. Korean Christians evangelized their family, neighbors, and friends and led in the church. People now have become frustrated with this method. Nowadays, the Korean church is struggling for evangelism with various mission projects. Yet, the statistics shockingly say after 1990’s the Korean church’s growing stopped.(2)

To more clearly present my mission project, that focusing Evangelism for Children, first of all, I should introduce my home church

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2. “Revaluation for Korean church’s the growing movement” Wongyu, Lee Minister and theology Journal, Feb, 1990 p. 72.
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because my mission project almost came from my experience in the church in which I grew up.
I have grown up in the denomination ħ Korea General Synod, The Presbyterian Church ħ traditionally interested in Children’s evangelism. The time that I was growing up, from 1970’s to 1980’s, was a time of great growth for Korean churches. Yet, most churches had interest in only adult’s evangelism. They don’t have interest in evangelizing to children. Even the Christian parents did not bring their children to their church. They thought children’s evangelism is a waste of energy and money. On the other hand, my denomination concentrated on children’s evangelism. Most branch churches in my denomination had three times the number of children members than the adult member. According to a survey in 1990(3) , an age group’s ratio in the Korean Church was that the adult members were 70%, youth groups were 10%, and children were 20%. On the other side, Churches of my denomination had a ratio that adult member were 30%, youth group was 18%, and children were 52%. My churches have grown through

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(3) The Korean Christian Life Journal Oct. 1990
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children’s evangelism. The children became Adult members and the adults again devoted attention to children’s evangelism. In the beginning of the 1970’s my church gained great fruits on the Sunday school for the children under God’s great blessing. The newspapers of Korea started to report my church as having the biggest Sunday school for children in the world. According to a Christian newspaper,(4) my church, the Busan Seo-Bu Church, had the 27,000 children members and 600 classes. Other Korean churches, on the one hand, stared in wonder; on the other hand, they still thought that adult evangelism should take precedence over children’s evangelism. The Korean Church was afraid of investing in the children’s evangelism. As soon as the 1990s’ began, the Korean Churches felt that their growing speed became blunt and stopped. Only then, the Korean Church turned her eyes to children’s evangelism. Yet, it was too late. The population ratio of children under 14 years old was drastically decreasing (1960-42.9%, 1980-34.0%, 2000-25.1%) because of decreasing a birth-rate.(5) Besides, Many Korean children no longer wanted to go to the Sunday school under the influence of mass media and

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4. The Korean Christian News June.20.1987
5. The SiSa Journal Jan.9.1992 NO.115
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internet. What is worse, in the case of my denomination, after the death of Pastor YoungHee, Paik, who was a powerful leader of the movement of the Sunday school for children in BuSan Seo-Bu Presbyterian Church, the number of children in Sunday school was decreasing. A lot of branch churches in our denomination do not vigorously evangelize for children like in the 70’s and 80’s. When I return to my country, I will do missions for children as following my church’s interest. Also, I want to encourage children’s evangelism of many churches. I believe that children’s evangelism will serve an important role to revive the stagnant Korean Church. I think there are still a lot of evangelism possibilities for children in Korea in spite of many circumstances changing. Many children play on the street and playgrounds. Whenever we can freely preach the gospel to children, they easily follow to the church. Nobody prohibits and disturbs evangelism for children not even their parents.
The reason that the mission for children is more important than mission to other ages is first, a child is like a blank paper.(6) We can draw whatever we want. Childhood is the best time for infusing the

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6. The Biblical Sunday School written and publishing by The ministry institute of Paik YoungHee 1995 P154
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gospel. Children absorb every thing as we put it in. After youngsters, it is difficult for the gospel to draw on the one’s heart because others are already drawn on their heart. Also, Children’s evangelism may be a way to adults who do not receive the gospel with ease. If first the children are led to the Lord, evangelism to their family is easier. In Acts, apostles evangelized as the family unit. Paul and Silas said to the jailer in Philippi “you and your household will be saved” (16:31). Lydia and the members of her household were baptized. Peter cited from the Old Testament, “Your sons and daughters will prophesy.” (Acts 2:17)

Let’s look at the peculiar mission strategy of Busan Seo-Bu Presbyterian Church for children.(7) We named the mission strategy and projects as the method of the primitive churches in Acts. First of all, we set aside two general popular methods to Sunday school for children. First, we made worship for children with the same worship for adults, like worship program, hymn, and preaching contents. We excluded the method of children psychology, educational psychology, and pedagogy

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7. “New Sunday School’s Practice” written by The ministry institute of Paik YeongHee Christian wisdom Publishing 1990 P58
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from our Sunday school, and made simple worship style. Popular programs in Sunday school of usual churches 쭯 movie, play, picture and amusement was not included. Only our Sunday school’s worship consisted of praying, singing hymns, and preaching. We taught just Christ’s death and Resurrection in our class. We believed in the power of the Holy Spirit. If the Lord is pleased with our method, he will send his children to our church. Before long, our Sunday school experienced marvelous progress all around the country’s churches that adopted our mission method for children as well as my church. We had to send back the children who come late for lack of space. Even though many educators did not agree with our mission method, they were surprised at our fruits. We worshiped the same time for children worship ħ Sunday morning and afternoon, Wednesday afternoon, and Sunday morning prayer meeting. A Christian journal reported the BuSan Seo-Bu Church’s Sunday school worship style for children, “Actually, the Sunday school’s worship in the Busan Seo-Bu Church has the same sermon with adult’s sermon on the base of the Presbyterian dogma, the same hymn, and the same worship program. They think we should worship God and
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not focus on pleasing children. They don’t include the factors of Children’s psychology. There are not juvenile story, children’s play, movie and picture in the Seo-Bu church’s worship for children.”(8)
I believe our peculiar mission methods for children come from Acts. Peter and the apostles preached only Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 2:30-34, 3:13-15, 4:10, 4:33, 5:30, 10:40). Also, Paul’s biggest preaching subject was Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 13:30-35, 17:3, 17:31, 23:6-8, 24:15). The word “witness” was used in Acts. The witness refers to the witness of Jesus’ resurrection (2:32-34, 3:13-15, 5:32, 10:39). The apostles cast lots for Mathias as the twelfth apostle to witness Jesus’ resurrection. The apostles wanted only to obey the word of God rather than men (5:29, 4:19). All believers from children to adults worshiped together. Cornelius gathered his entire family before Peter (10:24).
Secondly, we abolished the class classification following the age and sex that was commonly adopted by the Korean church. We set all children from 4 years old to 13 years old into a class. We tried the

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8. The Korean Christian Life Journal June 1986
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new method that all educators had not agreed upon. It seemed to be unable to effectively educate them because of the gap in the children’s ages. We thought, however, there were bigger gaps among adult believers like age, jobs, level of education and economy and so forth. Nevertheless, they hear from a preacher and at a place at the same time. Those who have Ph. D degrees do not always understand the word of God well. Rather the knowledge and wisdom of the world are not often related with the realizing of God’s word. The word of God can have impact by the Holy Spirit’s power. The gaps of children’s ages were slight as compared to those of adult. We only divided students into six hundreds classes. A student goes into the class of the teacher who brings him/her without regard of his or her age and sex. Besides, the teacher undertakes the student’s faith education until he or she goes to a middle school. The new sort opened evangelism doors for children before zealous teachers. Each Sunday school’s teacher started to evangelize the children for their classes by themselves, and they felt a responsibility of fostering the children.(9)

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9. “New Sunday School’s Practice” written by The ministry institute of Paik YeongHee Christian wisdom Publishing 1990 P77
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This mission strategy was also used in Acts. Apostles experienced each person become one even though their home country was various. In the chapter 2, apostles preached the gospel to a lot of Gentiles in Jerusalem in the day of Pentecost; they could hear the gospel in each one’s own native language through the power of the Holy Spirit (2:1-13) Also, Paul believed God should send the appointed men for eternal life to the church (13:48). In Philippi the Lord opened Lydia’s heart (16:14). In Acts, Peter, Apostles and Paul and his colleagues went to find alien countries with the gospel (8:4-5, 9:32-42). The church at Antioch sent Saul and Barnabas for evangelizing (13:1-3). Paul did not finish as he only preach gospel in a town. He always established the church and set an elder to foster sheep. Paul often visited again to his mission fields and took care of his sheep (15:36).
Lastly, we abolished giving gifts for children, to open temporary events, and to reward for teachers. Many Korean churches tried to give a lot of gifts to children and open a flash event. Yet, it only gave temporary effects. We let both children and teachers come to church because of the Lord’s love not because of a material gift.

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Otherwise, they will lose their power of faith and cannot keep up.
Apostles also used this mission strategy in Acts. Peter and John gave only Jesus Christ’s name. They did not have other things like silver and gold (3:6). The workers for the gospel In Acts were in a servant position (6:1-6). Paul and his colleagues continuously preached the gospel (15:36)

We practiced to carry out these mission strategies successfully. First, grew holding up your young sheep in your mind. Write every student’s name in your pocket notebook, and pray with calling each student’s name every day. In Acts apostles made prayer as the important factor for mission strategy. After the Ascension, they all joined together constantly in prayer (1:14). They were praying together on the day of Pentecost (2:1). Peter prayed at an appointed hour.(3:1, 10:9) Apostles gave their attention to prayer (6:4). The entire church prayed for Peter who was locked up in a prison (12:5)
Second, we visit students’ houses and maintain friendly

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(10) The Practice Note for Sunday school teacher in BuSan SeoBu Presbyterian Church.
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relations with students’ family. At this time, you can talk personally with students about his or her studies, the relationship with schoolmate and family members, and the family atmosphere while never forgetting to lead their family to the church. Paul often visited his gentile churches and brought them up by living together for a long time. (18:11)
Thirdly, you must live in accordance with the word of God before the students. Do not forget the word of God whenever and wherever, then the living word springs up for your students. Paul said to Ephesus’ elders that he showed in everything he did to them (20:35). Also, he said to complete the Lord’s task he considered his life worth nothing.

I think the Sunday school of the BuSan Seo-Bu Presbyterian Church was the missions strategy in Acts. It was depending on the power of the Holy Spirit instead of the wisdom of man, taking care of children with praying holding in his heart, saving his entire family through a young child, and sanctifying them by bringing the word of God to the students.

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When I dedicate this mission strategy focused on children’s evangelism, I anticipate that the Lord will again pour his wonderful blessing to Korean churches under difficult circumstances, and the churches are filled with children and they become a seed for saving their family.

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